Electrically-operated fuel-valve.



H. LEMP.

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED FUEL VALV E.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 191a.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN}! LEMP, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR '10 GENERAL ELECTB'IO' COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED FUEL-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented nee. a 1919.

Application filed March 2, 1918. Serial No. 220,051.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMANN LEMP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in'the county of Erie, State of'Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrically-Operated Fuel- Valves, of which the following is a of my application, Serial No. 31,376,

jectors for use particularly for controlling is well understood, in operation fuel is delivered to these injectors in measured quantities by a suitable pump, after which the needle valve of the injector is opened and the charge-of fuel isblown into the engine cylinder against the pressure therein by means of compressed air, generally termed the blast air. In ordinary practice this blast air has a pressure of from 800 to 1000 lbs. per square inch.

In injectors as heretofore constructed, the stem of the needle valve projects through the casing and is operated by means of a suitable lever or other device from the crank shaft or other part of the engine. The interior of the valve casing is subjected to the pressure of the blast air and to preventleakage around the valve stem a suitable stufiing box is provided for the stem. As will be evident, such a stufling box must be maintained air tight up to about 1000 lbs. per square inch pressure and this has proven very difficult owing to the rapidity with which the stem moves, and the fact that it is soon corroded more or less by gases which may be formed, for example, by sulfur from the fuel uniting with the air and moisture present to form sulfuric acid. These stufmg boxes are, therefore, a, source of a good deal of trouble, and the best of materials and great care, together with frequent rep'acking is required in orderto keep the packing tight.

One objeettiv'f the present invention is to provide animproved structure wherein the stufling box for the stem is entirely eliminated. the whole stem being inclosed within the fuel-injector casing. To this end I dispense with the usual lever for mechanically operating the-needle valve and use in place thereof an electromagnet which is preferably, arranged within an extension of the in ector casing and acts to operate the fuel valve ma etically.

A furt er object of my invention is 'to provide an improved structure which will require the minimum amount of electrical rected to the accompanying specification .and the claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of my improved fuel injector; Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2'2, Fig. l, and F ig; 3 is a diagram of connections of an arrangement for o crating the valve.

Re erring to the drawing, 1 indicates a wall of the cylinder of a high compression internal combustion engine, and 5 the cooling jacket. 6 indicates a column which crosses the cooling space and is provided with a counter-bored opening into which is seated pressure tight the casing 7 of the fuel injector. 8 indicates the needle valve of the injector, 9 the seat therefor, and 10 the flame plate. Fuel is admitted to the injector byway of conduits 11 and 12, and opening 13, and blast air by way of conduit 14. The specific structure of this portion of the injector forms no part of the present invention and further description is, thereceive a closing cap 17 The carrying member 16 has a threaded opening at its central portion into which is screwed an extension 18 on the end of the core' 19 of an electromagnet, the Winding of which is indicated at 20. The extension 18 is held in place on the outside of cap 17 and is provided with carrying member 16 by means of a lock nut 21. One end of winding 20 is grounded on the frame of the magnet and the otherend extends through an opening 22 in extension 18 and is connected to a contact button 23 bushing 24 is a spring 26 which presses the contact button 23 against a contact 27. Contact 27 carries a post 28 whlch projects to suitable clamping nuts 29. The shell of the electromagnet is indicated at 30: The stem of needle valve 8 has a curved head 31 which forms a part of themagnet armature and which fits into a counter-sunk opening 32 in an'armature part 33. The head 31 is not flush with the surface of armaturepart 33 but terminates somewhat-within the same, and it is held in position in the opening 32 by means of a spring 34 which at one end engages the head 31 and at the other end the bottom of a hole in the core 19. Spring 34 also serves to hold valve 8 on its seat 9. The armature part 31 is biased to a position away from the electromagnet by a suitable springwasher 35 made of insulating material, and its movement in such direction is limited by ders 35 In Fig.3 I have shown diagrammatically an electricafl arrangement for periodically energizing the winding 20. The winding 20 has its one terminal connected by a conductor 36 to a brush 37 which engages the periphery of a disk 38 having a long section of insulating material 39 and a short section of contact material 40 on its periphery. The disk 38 is connected by a conductor 41 to. a

suitable battery or other source of electrical energy 42' which in turn is grounded as indicated at 43. In the conductor 41 is a suitable switch 44 by means of which the battery 1 conduit may be closed and opened manually.

The other terminal of winding 20 is grounded as indicated at 45. As will be readily understood, when the brush rests on the insulating section 39 the electromagnet circuitwill be open, while when passing over the" contact segment 40 such circuit will be closed and the magnet energized to open the needle valve. When the electromagnet is energized it attracts both armature parts 33 and 31,

The two parts moving together until the armature part 33 strikes the face of the magnet, after which the head 31 alone moves far ther toward the pole piece 19 to complete the opening of the valve 8. The head 31 forms in substance a part of the armature, as is obvious; that is, the armature is made up of a suitable means, as the shoultwo concentric parts, one of-which is con nected directly to the valve 8 and can move the valve independently of the other" part of the armature. The disk 38 will, ofcourse,

is re uired to pull. the needle valve ofl' lts seat t an is re uired to lift it further after it has once le t its seat. In other words, the greatest pull is required to start the nee-, dle valve into motion. In the operation of my invention, therefore, the armature part 23 is setup quite close to the faceof the electromagnet so that its totalmovement will represent only a fraction of the movement required to open the valve 8 the desired amount. This adjustment is effected by adjusting the magnet in the holder 16,

the correct adjustment being observed by looking. through the'openings 47. When in correct position, the magnet is locked there by the nutz2l. With any adjustment-the spring 26 always maintains contacts 23 and 25 in engagement. Since the armature part 33 is brought so close to the pole face of the electromagnet the amount of current necessary to give the required initial pull to. 3

start the valve 8 from its seat will be very much less than if it were spaced a distance.

from the pole face equal to the total valve movement. During this initial movement the armature part 33 and head 31 move to-' gether and the head is thus brought closer to the core 19 so that after the armature part 33 strikes the pole face of the magnet the magnetization of core 19 will be suflicient to continue moving the head 31 to complete the movement of valve 8.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of'operation of my invention, together with. the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by othermeans. Whatl claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is 1.. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, a fuel valve located therein which is biased to closed position and has no moving part which projects through the casing wall, an electromagnet also wholly inclosed within said casing, the armature of the magnet being operatively connected'to the fuel valve, and means for adjusting the distance of the armature from the pole face of the magnet.

2. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, a fuel valve therein, and an electromagnet for actuating it, said electromagnet having its armature formed in two parts one of which is connected directly to the valve and is located farther from the pole face of the magnet than the other, both partsof said armature acting on the valve during. its initial movement.

3. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, a fuel valve therein, and an electromagnet for actuating it, said electromagnet having its armature formed in two parts one of which is connected directly to the valve and is located farther from the pole face of the magnet than the other, both parts of said armature acting on the valve durin its initial movement, and means for adjusting the armature and pole face of the magnet relative to each other.

4. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, a fuel valve therein, and an electromagnet for actuating it, said electromagnet having its armature formed in two concentric parts, one of which is movable toward the pole face of the magnet independently of the other and is spaced farther therefrom, and means connecting such one of the magnet parts to the fuel valve.

5. In a fuel injector, the combination of a casing, a fuel valve located therein which is biased to closed position and has no moving part which projects through the casing wall, an electromagnet also wholly inclosed within said casing, the armature of said electromagnet being formed in two concentric parts, one of which is movable towardthe pole face of the magnet independently of the other and is spaced farther therefrom, and means connecting such one of the mag net parts to the fuel valve.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of February, 1918. HERMANN LEMP. 

